FATEFUL DECISIONS - TREVOR D'SILVA
It’s 1915 in the heat of WWI. Two friends heading to England aboard the British ocean liner, RMS Lusitania, meet and fall in love with a charismatic woman. After battling for her affection, Rachel Williams makes her decision, beginning a journey that no one can predict or soon forget. For the next thirty years, Rachel is forced to live with the choice she made, as the dominos fall around her, sequentially.
Is there a sinister force at work? Who can Rachel trust? Will Rachel ultimately regret her decision when she learns how it impacted others?
Set in America and Europe, history and fiction intertwine, commencing with the sinking of Lusitania. Historical events like The Russian Revolution, Prohibition, The Great Depression and World Wars I and II also play important roles in the lives of the characters and the decisions they make to love, betray, forgive, and reconcile.
MM: Another week. Another awesome author. Another awesome book.
This time we get to hang out with a man who knows his history. And he's here to educate the world with his latest novel, FATEFUL DECISIONS.
Trevor D’Silva, the warmest of welcomes to @MartinMatthewsWrites.
TD: Thank you very much for the very warm welcome. It will be my pleasure to talk about my book and tell your readers more about it.
MM: So, two friends are traveling on the good ship Lusitania. Now, anyone who knows the name will immediately get that sinking feeling. Yes, it's THAT ship. And not only are they on the fated vessel, but they meet a fated woman. Tell us more, Trevor.
TD: Yes, you are right. It is onTHAT ship and on that fateful voyage that two friends meet Rachel Williams, the protagonist, and fall in love with her. During the sinking, one of the friends saves Rachel, while the other saves her friend. Years after the sinking, they meet her again and their love for her rekindles, and they both propose to her within a few hours of each other. She is in a dilemma since she has to make a decision to marry one of them. Therefore, the meeting on the Lusitania and the sinking are crucial to the story. It is where everything begins.
MM: I want to know why you decided to write about the consequences of the decisions we make. What got you turned on to this particular topic, and why did you want to explore it in the context of historical fiction?
TD: Well, we have all got to make decisions in our lives.When we are young, we have to decidewhether we would like go to college or not, work, get married, and also what paths we need to take to fulfill our goals in life that will bring us happiness. We also make decisions for our families and for others incapable of making them. We hardly take the time to think about the consequences (good or bad) of our decisions and ultimately, we end up living with theconsequences of those decisions.
In the story, Rachel’s decision to marry one of the two men that proposed to her takes her on a journey for the next thirty years that involves her, her family, and the people they get involved with, during the historical events of the early twentieth century. They all make decisions bringing about consequences which affect them. In the end, looking at the consequences of the past thirty years, Rachel has to come to a conclusion if she made the right decision by marrying the man of her choice.
MM: What do you want your readers to take away from FATEFUL DECISIONS?
TD: Most people love reading novels but hate history. I happen to love both history and reading novels. I wrote ‘Fateful Decisions’ to incorporate history with fiction and also to make it a fun way for the general public to learn about history while reading a novel. My novel is also filled with messages about how love and forgiveness triumph in the end. It also makes the reader aware that making decisions is not to be taken lightly, as there are consequences that arise from every decision we make. Therefore, there are many lessons to be learned from ‘Fateful Decisions.’ I also want to add that this book is not only for women, but also for men, as it contains genres like romance, military history, suspense, thriller and murder, which all come under the umbrella of historical fiction. So little bit of everything for everyone.
MM: Tell us a little about yourself, Trevor. Where are you from? And what do you do when you're not writing historical novels?
TD: I live in Charlotte, NC. I have lived here ever since I came to the U.S. from India to pursue my graduate studies. When I am not writing novels, I work full time and I also work on marketing my current novel. I like reading books on various subjects, novels, watching movies (old movies, and anything that is of interestto me), documentaries, and also learning more about history. I like going out with friends when I can and also meeting people of various backgrounds and learning from them. I have had two book signing events where I met a lot of interesting people. I especially like talking to older people as they have a lot of interesting stories to tell.
MM: Can you tell us some of your influences? Books, movies, music? What and who are your biggest inspirations and why?
TD: A lot of writers have influenced me. I grew up reading Agatha Christie, Sidney Sheldon, Jack Higgins, Franklin W. Dixon, Enid Blyton, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and others. Agatha Christie and Sidney Sheldon played an important role in inspiring me to write novels. I liked the way they weaved mystery and suspense to produce an interesting book. I draw my inspiration from them. I read novels of modern authors like Brad Thor, James Patterson, Steve Berry, Clive Cussler and others.
Regarding movies, I mostly watch old films. I find that older films from the 30s to the 70s (British and Hollywood) have many great actors and in many cases, interesting stories. People dressed well, had a lot of class, and spoke well. I also like old TV shows and some foreign language films. I do like some modern films, especially action packed adventure films, films based on true events, and films that have a lot of drama and suspense.
With regards to music, I like music from yesteryears. I feel people had a lot of talent back then and the music really uplifts your soul and makes you feel better. Besides, I can always sing along since I can followthe lyrics which I cannot do with most modern music.
I guess I am an old soul, born too late in the wrong era, but that is just who I am.
MM: What books are you currently reading? Recommend anything?
TD: I am currently reading ‘Kaisers Last Kiss’. I have just begun reading it. The novel is about the Kaiser in exile in the Netherlands during WW-2 and his relationship with the SS guards that have replaced his staff. It is interesting so far and I recommend it. I understand thatit has been made into a movie called ‘The Exception’ starring Christopher Plummer. I also recommend people read books by Brad Thor, Agatha Christie (especially ‘Murder on the Orient Express’ and ‘Death on the Nile’), Sidney Sheldon (especially ‘Master of the Game’), and James Patterson.
MM: So, are you working on your next book, and if so can you share a little about it?
TD: My second novel is a murder mystery set in England in the late 1920s during a heat wave. It mostly involves history of the former British Empire. I will be introducing a new detective in the novel. The detective has to use history and also memories of older people to help solve a series of murders currently taking place in his hometown while he is on vacation.
MM: As an Englishman in the U.S., I'll be looking forward to reading that novel! Well, Trevor, it's been a pleasure catching up with you and getting the scoop on FATEFUL DECISIONS. Come back again soon!
TD: Thank you for interviewing me. It has been my pleasure to talk about my novel, ‘Fateful Decisions’. Until next time!
MM: You can purchase Fateful Decisions on Amazon, B&N, or direct from Black Rose Writing.
Trevor D’Silva has a B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering; M.S. degrees in Engineering Management, and Environmental Engineering; and an Associate degree in Accounting. He has lectured in mechanical engineering and environmental science subjects at various colleges. This is his first novel, encompassing history and fiction from WWI to the end of WWII. He uses his free time to expand his knowledge in history and reading crime, thrillers, and mystery novels.
https://www.facebook.com/Trevordsilvaauthor